The Romance of Covered Bridges in the Pacific Northwest

The romance of covered bridges draws you with thoughts of those long-ago days when life was simpler and technology non-existent; when there were horse drawn wagons; ladies in long flowing dresses and, lovers stopping beneath their cover for a quick kiss or two, away from prying eyes and disaproving looks.

Using only hand tools, sweat and determination, these early pioneers began building covered bridges in the early 1850's. Bridges were covered because they would last eighty years or more whereas an uncovered span would deteriorate in a few short years. Construction of these covered spans continued into the 1950's when heavier loads and increased traffic necessitated their replacement with concrete and steel.

Oregon at one time had more than 400 of these bridges. Today only about fifty or so remain. Over the years these wooden bridges gradually began to disappear, either being replaced or dismantled. Some were restored for historical preservation becoming part of parks and trails but only a few still allow vehicular traffic.

Oregon has more covered bridges than any other state west of the Mississippi. They are part of the history of Oregon. The following is a list of covered bridges easily accessible for those who feel the draw of romance and an interest in history.

In Benton County, there is a 75 foot bridge crossing Mary's River, built in 1936. It was named after the George Harris family who settled in the area in 1890. Crossing the Alsea River it is 91 feet long and was originally built in 1918 and rebuilt in 1945.

In Coos County, the Sandy Creek bridge is now used only in a park setting. And in Deschutes, there is only one covered bridge. In Douglas County, the Cavitt Creek bridge, built in 1943 crosses Little River. Horse Creek bridge, with a 105 span was built in 1930. The Milo Academy bridge's exact age is unknown. Neal Lane covered bridge is particularly beautiful in the Fall months because of the numerous Myrtlewood trees surrounding it. Pass Creek is only open to pedestrian traffic. Other covered bridges are Roaring Creek built in 1927 and Rochester built in 1933.

Jackson County has Antelope Creek bridge, Lost Creek bridge which, at 39 feet is considered to be the shortest in Oregon. McKee bridge is 122 feet long and crosses the Applegate River. Wimer bridge crossing Evans Creek was originally built in 1892.

Josephine County is home to Graves Creek bridge built in 1920. The creek, and bridge, were named for Martha Leland Crowley who died at this crossing in 1846.

Lane County is home to twenty covered bridges dating back to 1920. Fourteen are still open to traffic. Some of these bridges are:

- Belknap bridge has a 120 foot span. Built in 1966, it is one of Oregon's newer covered bridges.

- Chamber Railroad bridge is the only remaining covered railway bridge in Oregon. This 78 foot span, built in 1936, was named after the Frank Chambers Sawmill.

- Coyote Creek bridge has a sixty foot span and was built in 1922. It is sometimes called the Battle Creek Bridge and was once called the Swing Log bridge.

- Currin bridge is the only bridge in Oregon to be painted in two colours - red and white. Built in 1925, it replaced the original 105 foot span crossing the Coast Fork of Williamette. Foot traffic only.

- Mosley bridge named for David Mosley, an 1853 Oregon Trail pioneer. It is Lane County's oldest bridge. Built in 1922, it has a ninety foot span.

- Dealwood bridge was built by Miller Sorenson in 1932 to cross Deadwood Creek. A 105 foot span, it is surrounded by trees on a quiet gravel road. It reminds those who see it of the romance of these bridges and is well worth a trip to view.

- Goodpasture bridge was named after a local pioneer family. With a 165 foot span, it is one of the longer covered bridges. It continues to be open for traffic.

- Office bridge is the longest covered bridge with a span of 180 feet. Besides being the longest, it is the only covered bridge in Oregon that has the unusual feature of having an attached covered walkway.

- Pengra bridge crosses Fall Creek. It was built in 1938 and has a 120 foot span. It is a beautiful spot to visit, especially in the autumn months when the trees shimmer with their jewel-coloured Fall foliage.

- Wildcat Creek bridge. Romance is at its best at this spot. Built in 1925 with a 75 foot span, the bridge crosses where the Wildcat Creek and Siuslaw River meet.

Some of the other counties with covered bridges are:

- Lincoln County has three covered bridges - the Chitwood, the Fisher and Northfork of the Yachats.

- Linn County has nine - the Bohemian Hall, the Crawfordsville, Gilkey, Hannah, Hoffman, the Larwood and Short, the Shimanel and Weddle.

- Marion County with three - the Gallon House, a must see, the Jordan and the Overfield which is Oregon's newest covered bridge built in 2000.

- Multnomach County - the Cedar Crossing bridge.

- Polk County - the Fourtner and Ritner Creek bridges.

Oregon is a state for lovers of covered bridges to take a step back into time and imagine the sound of horses hooves with riders urging them on as they cross the bridges. And it is an opportunity to enjoy exploring these historic structures without the need to travel to the more eastern states.

For the Love of San Francisco

San Francisco is a go-back-to city. I have visited this city six times and haven't made a dent in the many things there are to see and enjoy.

Besides its other attributes the city has a history of survival. It survived the bubonic plague which became epidemic between 1900 and 1904. And in 1906 an earthquake decimated it resulting in a fire that destroyed eighty percent of the area. But San Francisco survived and grew to be the unique and interesting city it now is where tourists visit and want to come back again and again.

Fisherman's Wharf is one of those places you want to return to. There are a large variety of street performers, each with their own unique talent. And everywhere there are shops which, though expensive, have merchandise ranging from the exotic to the erotic. And definitely not to be missed is Pier 39, the haven of hundreds of sea lions barking their happiness at having found a sea lion's heaven. Dozing on the docks they soak up rays of sunshine and bask in human adoration. On my first trip to the Wharf, we went to a seafood restaurant and had Lobster Thermadore, a French dish of a creamy mixture of lobster and cognac in a lobster shell served with a browned cheese crust. It was spectacular and although that particular visit was close to twenty years ago, it has been engraved in my memory as being my best restaurant meal ever.

On one of our visits to San Francisco, we took a bus tour and visited Alamo Square, a row of houses of Victorian architecture. They are beautiful, historic buildings and definitely worth a visit. We also saw Lombard Street which supposedly is the most crooked in the world. The crooked portion has eight switchbacks and is about one quarter of a mile long. We also saw the cable cars which were originally built between 1860 and 1880 designed to transport people in this hilly city from one area to another. It's worth knowing that one of their stops is Fisherman's Wharf. And we made a brief visit to Golden Gate Park. The gardens were first begun in the mid 1870's, designed by a Scottidh gardener who lived in the park until he died in 1943. There are thousands of trees, several water features, a Japanese Tea Garden, flowers and a number of other attractions in this huge park situated near the Golden Gate Bridge.

On another trip we visited Mission Dolores founded in 1776 and which I particularly enjoyed. It is the oldest intact building in the city and the cemetery is the only one within the city limits. Both cemetery and gardens are adjacent to the old mission. The markers in the cemetery date from 1830 to 1898. Visiting this mission will be extremely interesting for anyone who enjoys discovering and learning about the history of the places they visit. On that trip we also went up Telegraph Hill and viewed the 210 foot tall Coit Memorial Tower, built in 1933. The hilltop area offers an excellent view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay area. Another excursion we took was a boat tour of the Bay so as to be able to view the city, as well as Alcatraz, from the water. It is definitely a different way to enjoy San Francisco and its harbour.

On one trip we visited Chinatown which is the oldest in North America and the largest outside of Asia. Established in 1848, it has its own life and culture. It happened to be my birthday on this visit so we enjoyed a Chinese meal to celebrate the occasion. Although not quite the same calibre as the Lobster Thermadore, it was excellent just the same.

Although I have seen much of this beautiful and interesting city, we have not as yet visited the zoo, the aquarium, the numerous museums and the many hiking trails and parks. And this list is not complete by any means as there are hundreds of other attractions in the San Francisco area.

Interestingly, on my several visits to this city, we had yet to encounter fog to the extent where it distracted from either our explorations or our enjoyment. However, on our last visit we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, heading north as we left the city, and parked on the other side just as the fog was rolling in. It had been a beautiful sunny October day which changed before our eyes as the fog slowly undulated its way towards us. It was a spectacular sight to witness and one I'm glad we hadn't missed.

It is definitely a city I will go back to again ... and again.

Virginia City - The Old West is Alive Again

On a visit to Virginia City, Nevada, you'll truly believe the wild west is alive again. This city, once a mining town, sprang up almost overnight after the Comstock Lode Silver Mine was discovered in 1859 and grew to almost 11,000 residents by 1880.

Samuel Clemens, a reporter for the then local newspaper in 1863, first used his now famous name Mark Twain when he lived in the city. Along with the history of Mark Twain, some of the original buildings still exist to this day. Among them are the Bucket of Blood Saloon, the Silver Queen and the Suicide Table.

Having visited this interesting city twice, we have seen many of these old buildings. Among them are the Fourth Ward School which is now a museum, the Storey County Court House built in 1875 after The Big Fire, The Castle, Piper's Opera House, as well as historic churches, museums, 19th century restored houses, the old steam engine train and the jail. There are also mine tours that can be taken, stagecoaches to ride as in years gone by, boardwalks to stroll while you explore the small city and the opportunity to partake of the many delectable items at many of the eateries along the way.

Also exceedingly interesting are the cemeteries. There are nine in all and although we have not explored all of them, the ones we have seen were of interest because for each tombstone there is a story to be told and the sad reminder that that life no longer exists. Most of the headstones are very old with dates going back to the 1800's. Some are enclosed in fenced-off areas and many have their own statuary. On a large portion of the headstones, the dates have been nearly obliterated with time and the elements. However, the city is slowly refurbishing many of these cemeteries as they receive funding for the project.

There are various events held throughout the year. On one of our visits we saw their Outhouse Race held on the main street with the participants rigged out in old-time dress. Held in the Fall of each year, I believe the contestants enjoyed it as much as the observers did. Everyone working in the shops, saloons and, I suspect, even the general population dress in old-time costumes for the enjoyment of the tourists. It seems to be a happy town with a lot of smiling faces and much laughter.

On our first visit to Virginia City we came across the Shoe Tree with hundreds of shoes hanging from its branches. The story goes that a young couple driving through town were having an argument and stopped beneath the tree. Angry with his wife, the husband threw a pair of her shoes into the tree. After they had settled their argument, he couldn't get her shoes down from the high branch where he had tossed them, and so there they stayed. Others seeing the shoes danging from the branches decided to throw their own up into the tree as well. And that was the beginning of the Shoe Tree seen as you drive from Reno into Virginia City. Since we weren't having an argument, and because we didn't want to sacrifice a pair of shoes, we refrained from adding ours to the growing collection.

Virginia City is south of Reno and was once considered the most important city in all of Nevada. The shops are interesting to look through with an eclectic mix of offerings for interested buyers. On our second visit with grandchildren, we spent more time doing things around the city. One grandchild in particular was interested in the cemeteries, or perhaps it was the enjoyment of trying to catch the little lizards that seemed to proliferate the area as they basked on the sun-warmed rocks and fallen tombstones.

Either way, with children or without, Virginia City is a very enjoyable place to visit for its historic value as well as for the fun and laughter.

Visiting Seoul, South Korea

Almost a year ago I visited the city of Seoul in South Korea for the wedding of one of my sons to a Korean girl. I had previously met most of my future daughter-in-law's family but had never been to Korea before.

Exploring Seoul, the largest city in South Korea was not difficult. In a city of almost twelve million, one would not expect this to be the case. The Metro system is easy to navigate and taxis are incredibly reasonable and easy to get. Most drivers, however, do not speak English or it is extremely limited. But with a map of the city or an address, there is no difficulty. I had no trouble travelling around in this way and the drivers were very helpful and friendly. As a woman on my own, I did not feel uncomfortable or nervous travelling in the city by myself.

In one instance, when I was going to the home of my future daughter-in-law, there were many apartment buildings and the taxi driver drove around until he was sure he had the correct address. Another time when I was visiting one of the many palaces, the driver pulled in so I wouldn't have to cross the street and pointed over to where the entrance was.

On a visit to the National Folklore Museum, while I was looking around, a young girl came up and asked if I would like her to show me around. Although there was some English on the signage, she told me more background history than I would have known otherwise.

After discovering that I was visiting the city to attend the wedding of my son to a Korean girl, she took a special interest and showed me the entire process of life from ancient times to the present. It was very useful in helping me understand Korean life and customs as well as their wedding traditions and I found it to be an extremely interesting place to visit.

My next stop was the Gyeonbokgung Palace which means 'Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven'. Construction of the original palace began in 1395 representing the sovereignty of the Joseon Dynasty. Razed by invasions of the Japanese between 1592 and 1598, it was not rebuilt until 1868. At that time about 500 buildings were erected on over forty hectares. I was overwhelmed by the immenseness of the grounds and the many buildings. Planning to meet my son there, I realized the futility of ever finding him. We did eventually meet at the entrance/exit gates where we watched the unique process of the changing of the guards ceremony.

Our next stop was Deokgung Palace which is also part of the Joseon Dynasty. The back of the building had secret passageways to the Russian Emissary which exist to this day. My son and I were able to catch the changing of the guards here as well. At both palaces the guards wear traditional clothing but the attire and the ceremonies are quite different at each of the palaces.

Later, being joined by my future daughter-in-law, we made our way to Insadong Street. It is the focal point of Korean traditional culture, folk crafts and traditional clothing as well as the center for artists, craftsmen and art lovers alike. Art events and festivals are held along this 700 meter long street and vehicles are not permitted during weekends. The shops were interesting and tea was offered for tasting at one shop which was a wonderful respite on an extremely cold winter day.

On another day, two companions and myself went to Myeongdong Market. With its countless shops, stores and stalls, it apparently is one of the busiest places in Seoul. Shopping malls are interspersed with street stalls selling inexpensive items with prices that can be negotiated. But even the shops offer reasonable prices. A companion, who had lost her glasses, bought two pairs for a total of just over $200, including an eye examination and for a total wait time of under one hour. It is considered the ultimate shopping experience in Seoul.

Other attractions in Seoul are Namdaemun Market which is the oldest and largest in all of Korea dating back to 1414 and the Jongmyo Shrine dedicated to the deceased kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. Built in 1394, the Japanese burned it down during the Seven Year War. It was later rebuilt in 1601. It still has the original tablets in memory of past kings and queens which had been hidden by peasants.

We stayed at a hotel fairly central to many of the tourist attractions and if not a good walk, at least not a long taxi ride. Surrounded by an assortment of eating establishments, the rooms were clean and wifi was available.

We were in South Korea in the middle of January which was extremely cold. But according to my daughter-in-law, May and September are the best months to visit Seoul. So I tucked that useful bit of information away to remember for any visits in the future.

Korean Wedding Customs

How do Korean weddings differ from traditional North American weddings? The differences between the two cultures becomes something that is necessary to consider for those who are entering into mixed marriages.

In my own family, two of my sons have mixed marriages. In some cases the two cultures meld and combine their different customs and in other cases, it will be strictly one way or the other. How is the best way to handle this sometimes delicate situation? Is it a decision made by the wedding couple or one made by the parents?

It is often the Asian parents who decide on whether the wedding will be American or one with their own customs since they have more strongly held traditions than do most North Americans. This may not be the case if they live in North America. But if the parents still live in Korea, they will be considerably more attached to their customs.

The ancient Korean customs of the groom travelling to the bride's house on horseback before the wedding and of the bride being transported back to the groom's house by sedan chair to live three days after the wedding, obviously is not done anymore. Nowadays there is a mix of Korean customs with some of the Western wedding traditions incorporated as was the case with my one son and daughter-in-law.

In times past also, the bride as well as the bride and groom's mothers wore hanboks consisting of a short jacket, long skirt and pantaloons. And the groom wore loose fitting trousers with a long colorful overcoat known as a gwanbok with a black hat. Nowadays it is more common for the bride and groom to wear the traditional western bridal clothes of white wedding gown for the bride and tuxedo for the groom as my son and daughter-in-law did. However, Korean customs were observed to the degree that the bride's mother and myself both wore the traditional hanboks.

Other Korean customs often observed is the exchange of gifts between the bride and groom prior to the wedding; gifts given by the bride's family to the significant kin of the groom; gifts of cash from the groom's kin to the bride, and gifts from the bride's family to the groom's friends. There is also an exchange of food and wine between both families, ritual silk given by the bride to the groom's significant kin and a gift box delivered to the bride's house the night before the wedding by friends of the groom. These customs were not observed in our case.

The most common gift for the couple is cash. Weddings are usually large with often the bride and groom not knowing many of their guests. The Korean goal is to have as many people at the wedding as possible to let it be known that the wedding is of import. Often the cash wedding gifts given at the wedding are given to the parents to help pay for the wedding. The exception to this are cash wedding gifts from close friends given directly to the wedding couple.

Following the official wedding festivities, there may be another ceremony called Pyebaek for the family members only. It is a time when the bride formally greets her new parents-in-law and food and drink are offered. This is the time the bride and groom will wear the traditional Korean wedding clothes as my son and daughter-in-law did. The custom also says that the groom will piggy-back his mother and his wife around which symbolizes his acceptance of his obligations to both of them. My son piggy-backed his wife but I declined. At this time the groom's family give cash in envelopes to the bride. The same is repeated with the bride's parents. Also both sets of parents throw chestnuts and dates into a decorated apron held by the bride and groom which they will catch. The amount of chestnuts they catch signifies the girl children they will have and the dates signify boy children.

If the Korean family have lived in the United States or Canada for some time, and particularly if their offspring is North American born, chances are the wedding will include more of the western customs and the bride and groom themselves will make the majority of the decisions regarding their wedding. This was the case with my other son and daughter-in-law.

Europe - The Best Way to Explore Your Destinations

Our main modes of transportation consisted of the Eurorail, TGV, Metro and walking. But, as with every other aspect of trip planning, it is important to research because there are numerous options available.

There is the choice of whether to get first or second class train tickets. There really is a difference between the two although in the end, both get you to where you want to go. With first class the seats are very comfortable with lots of leg room and ample space for luggage, as well as drinks are offered by passing porters. We chose this option because of the length of time we would be spending on Eurorail while travelling through three different countries.

However, from Paris to Switzerland, we chose the TGV train system which travels at 320 km hour and often faster. This cut our train travel for this leg of our journey from over six hours to about three hours. We chose not to make reservations which would have been an additional cost, deciding to take our chances on not having to wait. Because we left early for the train station, and because the trains leave hourly, we were fortunate in not having a long wait time.

While in Switzerland we were able to use our Eurorail pass. If we had not had this pass, we would've had to purchase Swiss passes for transportation while in Switzerland. Our Eurorail pass also gave us passage on the ferries in both Lucerne and Interlacken as well as the cogwheel trains we took up Rigi Kulm Mountain and Jungfrauloch Mountain in Switzerland. When we purchased our rail passes, based on the fact that we would be travelling to three countries, we got the three country, six day pass which was ideal for our requirements although as it turned out, the two country pass would've been sufficient since the TGV had to be purchased separately. The cost of the pass is determined by the number of countries you visit and the number of days you are using your pass. Purchasing Eurorail passes outside of Europe is cheaper. The open tour bus in Rome, however, was an additional cost. When travelling by train, we had to try and beware of what the station before our stop was so we could get our luggage and be ready to leave the train when it came in to the station.

While in Paris and Rome, we used the Metro system of transportation or by walking to our destinations. Both Metro systems were quite easy to use and in Paris in particular, almost every station had people available to answer questions. Also in Paris, the route you needed to take to get to the trail level you wanted was very clearly marked on the walls at each fork. While in Rome we only used their Metro system one day and had clear instructions on which line we needed to take and the station we had to get off. In both Paris and Rome Metro systems, the next station is shown overhead on a flashing sign so you are given ample warning.

The only taxi we took while in Europe was to the airport to catch our flights home. We could have taken a shuttle or bus to the train station which, between connections, would have taken several hours. For an early morning flight, and with the difficulty of having luggage to worry about, the cost of a taxi was well worth the extra money spent.

Before travelling, make sure to research, plan and organize so that things will go as smoothly as possible and time isn't wasted trying to get information when that time could be spent travelling and getting to your point of destination more quickly. This is especially true when your travel time is limited as ours was - three countries, eight cities and other specific areas in just two weeks.

Travelling Europe - The Hostel Way

On our first trip to Europe we decided to stay in hostels, mainly for economic reasons. When planning our trip, there were many things to consider before booking our accommodations.

These considerations were: cost, location, wifi accessibility and availability to transit and the major attractions. We also wanted a room that included breakfast, an ensuite bathroom, if possible, and a room with same sex occupancy but not a dorm. Because there were three of us this sometimes presented a problem and we had to sacrifice some of our desired requirements. One of these was ensuite bathroom which proved not to be particularly bad, and in some cases preferable, because often the separate bathrooms were larger than the ones in the room. Breakfast was the next thing on our list that we were willing to give up. Availability to transit was the most important even though we walked many miles each day while touring the cities we visited.

We began our search through hostels.com about five months before our planned departure. This was necessary because of our specific requirements and even then, in some cases, were unable to find what we wanted. Specifically, there were not many rooms for a group of three, same gender. While we were in Interlacken, Switzerland, we had a room for four and on our first night there were just the three of us. But on our second evening we returned to the hostel to find a partially clad man shaving at the sink in the room. Initially we thought we had the wrong room and, apologizing left, only to discover that he was to be our new room mate. My companions and I felt somewhat uncomfortable with this new development, particularly since we, by unspoken consideration for each other, confined ourselves and our things to our own bed areas. In the obviously short time the new arrival had been an occupant in our room, he had managed to disburse himself freely throughout the entire small room. Fortunately, there was another room available to him and we paid for the fourth occupancy to our room. In hindsight it was all quite humorous but I'm sure somewhat embarrassing for the poor man.

When doing our search for hostels, we read visitor reviews for each one but often these were more confusing than helpful because of the extremely diverse opinions of those who had stayed. Often reviews ran from extremely favourable to highly negative. As a result, a lot of our decisions were based on what seemed to be a dominant impression of the reviews. But like most things, reviews are subjective in most cases rather than objective.

Our hostel in the colourful Montmartre district of Paris was conveniently located to Metro and a short ride to the Champs-Elysses where many of the major attractions are located. It did have an ensuite bathroom and although very small, was convenient. Breakfasts consisted of cereal, croissants, fruit, coffee and juiice which was quite sufficient to jump-start our energy levels for our busy days. The age of the majority of visitors was in the twenties to early thirties range with few being older. We found this to be the case in most places we stayed except in Italy where there were more older visitors in the hostels. But everyone was always friendly regardless of age or language spoken.

In Lucerne we stayed at a lovely clean hostel for three with a separate bathroom across the hall. It didn't include breakfast but met all of our other requirements. Being close to transit in this case was not a requirement because the town was quite small and everything was within walking distance, the trains, ferry and most attractions. In Interlacken, although the city was much larger, the trains and ferry were very close and although they did not serve breakfast, they did have convenient kitchen facilities.

In Venice, Italy, because my daughter-in-law is Korean, she made arrangements for us to stay at a Korean hostel which was on one of the canals. Transportation was not a consideration in Venice because the main way of getting around is by walking. They did serve a breakfast which was a rather large feast, Korean style. The hostel in Florence was a room for four which we shared with an older lady from England who said she had travelled considerably, always staying in hostels. She said she quite enjoyed her experiences with hostel stays. Breakfast and dinner was served for a nominal fee, bathrooms were down the hall and it met all of our other requirements.

Our hostel in Rome was probably the best. Although they did serve a very basic breakfast, we were gone by then but they did have kitchen facilities where we could prepare anything we wanted for ourselves. We were within walking distance from Metro and within walking distance of some of the attractions, i.e.: the Colosseum, Paladine Hill and Trevi Fountain, although admittedly, they were extremely long walks.

When booking stays at hostels, it is important to note whether linen and towels are included. In some places they are and in others, rental is required. I brought my own towel but in most of the places these things were either included or were a very nominal charge to rent. Some places require that payment for rooms must be cash and other places will accept credit cards. We also did a thorough online search of the areas we were looking in to see what was available regarding restaurants and, was there a curfew, was it a noisy neighbourhood and was there a staff member on site at all times.

We were very fortunate with the hostels we chose, finding them all to be clean, comfortable and for the most part, meeting our requirements. It is certainly an inexpensive option when travelling not only for the young but for older travellers and families as well. I would certainly choose a hostel adventure again in the future.